Shizen Style
Forest Bathing (ShinRin-Yoku) For Your Modern Lifestyle
Shizen Style is all about “A Lifestyle of Bringing Nature into Our Modern Lives,” and there’s no better or quicker way than going for a little dip in the forest. But to be clear, I’m not actually talking about swimming.
Shinrin yoku (森林浴) is just starting to become recognized outside of Japan but they have been studying and developing this concept since the 1980’s. Literally translated as “Forest Bathing,” it is sometimes considered a form of Nature Therapy, Garden Therapy, Forest Medicine etc…
Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li
https://amzn.to/3Nf890m
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she's in style is all about a lifestyle of bringing nature into our modern lives and there's no better or quicker way than going for a little dip in the forest but to be clear i'm not actually talking about swimming shinning yoku is just starting to become recognized outside of japan but they have been studying it and developing this concept since the 1980s literally translated as forest bathing it's sometimes considered a form of nature therapy garden therapy or forest medicine i'm not going to give you all the pseudo-scientific claims that are out there but simply stress that this is a great way to get back in balance and reset your clock what their research has shown however is that taking in the forest can boost your immune system reduce your cortisol levels which are the stress-inducing chemicals and has an overall calming effect throughout the nervous system surrounding yourself in nature helps you get your physical mental and spiritual self back in line it also puts you in a mood that allows for more creativity and flow this can however be easier said than done for some people depending on your living situations that she's in style we promote a harmony of modern and natural urban and rural so how do we fit a forest bath into our modern lifestyle i've come up with a few ideas for three different situations in our lives when we can start to get closer to nature the first situation is larger escapes into nature the getaway camping and backpacking an easy answer is to go camping or go for a long hike or trek this is the getaway many people look forward to once or a few times a year being able to totally leave the stresses of the job and everyday life behind and enjoy a new refreshing atmosphere it's a step outside of your everyday routine and into a tent or a cabin in the woods there are so many activities you can do to pass the time on your trip like hiking fishing canoeing kayaking sitting by the fire but you can also do something a little different like plan a family or a couple cooking time plan the recipe out and do the shopping ahead of time but get everyone involved in the whole process of starting the fire to preparing and cooking the food another idea might be to take a few cameras on a specific hike and challenge everyone there with you to start to develop their own artistic eye and unique vision of seeing nature encourage everything from super close macro shots to wide-angle sweeping views the main thing is to just enjoy yourself outdoors you can have a look in the description below for some of the camera gear i like to use hotels in nature staying at a hotel with beautiful nature views can also be a great trip to plan ocean or lake views may not have the same effect but if you look for something like a ski resort you're likely to find that they're often nestled in the mountains and valleys this provides you with the perfect setting to go for strolls in the woods in their off seasons where there's no ski activity prices can also be a lot cheaper in the warmer months they sometimes have great hot tub jacuzzi or sauna that can add more relaxing benefits to the trip rotenburo or outside hot springs although still not very common in north america japan has developed rituals for visiting onsen as a way of relaxing many of these onsen have what are called rotemburo or outside hot springs we spent many vacations there away in two small hotels in the mountains with tempura soaking in the hot mineral waters and enjoying the views of the cedar trees and mountain scenes these kinds of deeper trips of forest bathing can definitely be fun and have great health benefits but when the trip is over it's back to the usual grind we need to find ways to bring these reset breaks into our daily lives to be most effective the next step weekend getaways these getaways are not as elaborate of a sub of a setup as the hotel or camping trip but shorter forest bathing trips can be done on the wind i'd like to start by looking to see what seasonal activities might be going on in the warmer months you might check out to see what fruits are in season and plan a small drive out to go fruit picking usually the farms are near more wooded areas and you can even combine a few of the activities if there's a relaxing hiking course or a park nearby fall also brings some great maple tree viewing spots and possibly apple picking winter around us is pretty snow heavy but walking in an area with a lot of pine trees still gives you a grounding feeling of greenery amongst the snow in spring things are really starting to come out come to life again and getting a head start on your garden is always a great idea working with nature and creating your own sanctuary garden could be part of the shiny yoku that leads to a daily reflection cherry blossom viewing springtime is also something that is a huge part of japanese culture i encourage you to find that special tree when they're in bloom but you have to look fast because they lose their blooms very quickly this is also a tree that symbolizes evanescence impermanence and how we need to cherish every moment we have because things are fleeting and they're gone so quickly now we're beginning to take steps to reflect on nature on a daily basis daily breaths there are little things that you can do to try to take a step back for a moment and take a breath if you're in the city try to take every opportunity to walk everywhere even from your house to the station you can feel the air on your skin and have a good look around maybe there's a park you could stroll through if you got off one stop closer or one stop further from your regular route at lunch time try to find a park or a green area to walk through and maybe sit for a moment even a long tree can give you a bit of comfort and a break from the office routine if there's absolutely no escape from the concrete during the day then make a point to find some after work if you're working from home it makes it a little easier to simply watch the weather and plan a time to take a stroll amongst the trees every day a really good time is right after lunch make sure to turn your cell phones off you shouldn't allow any distractions the goal is to just wander somewhat aimlessly without a set path you can let your mind just observe all the little things that pop up and that you see around you and feel do your best to defer judgment and just let things flow this walk can be as short or as long as you want this should be a quiet walk if you go with someone make it a point to refrain from getting deep into conversations your mere presence in nature is going to disturb the area but your goal should just be to take notice of how your presence interacts with the natural surroundings you're a part of nature and you can reflect on that letting your mind go on autopilot for a while is the analytical break your body and mind needs to both heal and possibly connect a few dots that you wouldn't have noticed otherwise this is sort of like mindfulness in that you let all of your daily drama go and just observe all the sounds and sights around you there is no destination per se only way of seeking clarity forest bathing shining for your modern lifestyle should eventually be something you aim to experience every day with a little tweaking of your routines you can start to build your awareness and clarity that comes from nourishment by nature check out the shizan wellness playlist to learn other ways you can go you can incorporate nature into your modern lifestyle and reach that refreshing balance with the world around us if you'd like to explore more about the benefits of forest bathing then i recommend you check out the link below for the book forest bathing how trees can help you find health and happiness by dr king lee from tokyo this is a definitive work on forest bathing that guides you through the art and practice of shinjin yoku and has all of the science and research to back it up
#Forest #Bathing #ShinRinYoku #Modern #Lifestyle
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Thank you for these videos.
Binge watching your videos. Definitely Shizen is my way of living. I love nature and the way they give us so much without any expectation is truly teach us to be like it. Great presentation that sooths the mind. We have beautiful national parks & forests in Canada so we always make sure to go out there in summers.